The Assignment
by rosenymphadora
Summary: Rose Weasley is an event planner, and a great one at that. After an Quidditch injury that meant she couldn't play professional anymore, she starts a business that is booming a year and a half later. Scorpius Malfoy is an Auror who has been handed an assignment that means working with his childhood crush and cracking a big case. What could possibly go wrong? Rated M for language.


Ch 1: Rose Colored Boy

 **A/N:** WOW! I have been reading Scorose fanfics for so many years but I really hadn't ever thought of writing my own! The idea for this one popped into my head half formed and completely unannounced! I am happy it did, though, because it's a juicy one. I am happy to share my Scorpius and Rose with you all! My idea is that each chapter will be divided into two parts—one part Rose, one part Scorpius. I have no idea how long it'll be (the idea is pretty ambitious!). Thanks to my bff Erin for creating the lovely Katie Sawyer, I'm just borrowing her for this story. She's lovely and I don't do her justice, but I just can't see anyone else as Rose's best friend.

 **For background:** Rose and Scorpius are both 25. Rose was playing major league Quidditch (as a 1st round draft pick) until around a year and a half ago when she was injured and unable to continue her career. Scorpius works as an Auror and is best friends with Albus, who loves plants and works as an Unspeakable. Katie, Rose's best friend, is a Spaniard with diplomat parents, and currently attending Healer school (which for the purposes of this fic, is as long as medical school).

Disclaimer, as usual, these characters don't belong to me, even though I love them dearly. All credits go to Jo.

Do people still do currently listening anymore? If so: Malibu—Miley Cyrus, After Laughter—Paramore

 **PT 1: ROSE**

Her desk was full of requests for meetings from Ministry officials, dignitaries, and assorted peoples of importance. Exasperation overcame her and she let out an undignified _hmmf_ as she sank into her chair. There was no way she could take more than four events at once (she had learned that the hard way). That's why she'd expanded her business to include her best friend. Katie had been reluctant at first (she was the daughter of diplomats and had big dreams of becoming a Healer). Thankfully, she was out of school during Rose's busiest season and was able to use her charm and connections to Rose's advantage. Unfortunately, school was rapidly approaching and she would lose her most valuable companion. That, and her best friend would once again descend into school induced seclusion.

"Katie!" Rose was fairly sure her voice would carry through the thin walls of their office. She was satisfied when she saw Katie's familiar face pop through the cracked door. Her eyebrows furrowed at the look on Rose's face.

"You look like hell." Rose's frown deepened. "If you keep that shite up you'll have wrinkles by 30."

"Are you sure you want to leave me?" Rose stuck her lip out in what she hoped was a convincing plea. In truth, Katie had wasted a whole summer in which she could have been interning or shadowing to help her out. She was eternally grateful for her help and was determined to pay her back by finally setting her up with Albus (who had been hopelessly in love with her for nearly as long as they'd known each other).

"Rose," Katie's stern voice cut through her. "You need a life outside of this job. You need to go out. Live a little." There was a tinge of sympathy coloring her tone, but mostly pity. Merlin, she fucking hated pity.

Rose clucked her tongue and sighed. "What I need is a new partner. Preferably one who is as meticulous and stubborn as you. Not to mention someone whose rolodex is as expansive as yours." It was an impossible undertaking, and Rose hated doing interviews. Her secretary was someone she had grown up with, Hattie Longbottom, simply because she knew that Hattie could take anything she threw at her. They had a rhythm already, before they even worked together.

"There was a note from—Hattie?" Katie pushed Rose's door open and motioned for Hattie to come over. "Hattie who was the note from again?"

"Scorpius Malfoy." Hattie shook her head slowly, as if she couldn't believe what she had just said. "It says he needs to see you—it's a matter of urgency regarding your open post." Rose snorted. Urgent? He was an Auror, not a hiring firm. What she did was outside of the scope of government. Throwing parties was _not_ in the jurisdiction of the Ministry.

"Well, I guess you might as well have him come. It's either him or one of my bloody relatives, I'm sure. And I see enough of them." She leafed through the notes on her desk, hoping there was something promising. "Katie?"

"Hmm?" Katie was perched on the edge of the chair in front of Rose's desk, looking apprehensive and more than a little mischievous.

"We could go out for drinks. You, me, Albus…" Rose tried to keep her tone as neutral as possible, but it was undeniably conspiratorial. It isn't as if she had been planning it for ages. No, that wasn't something she would meticulously flowchart, that would be lame, and Rose Weasley didn't _do_ lame.

But she just might have a binder stashed in her closet filled with ideas.

"Sure," Katie smiled uncertainly, knowing that Rose was up to something. "As long as you actually leave your house, we could go to the moon. I don't care." Rose nodded and slouched back into her chair. Katie shuffled through the papers on Rose's desk and pulled a particularly ornate one out of the pile. "In the meantime," she threw the parchment at Rose unceremoniously. "you might as well get some work done. That one will pay well and I know them, so it'll be my last official co-planning event."

Rose pretended to wipe a tear from her cheek before tearing into the letter. "Fine," she muttered, "if we _must._ " She pulled out some blank parchment and held her quill in the waiting position. "Let's start then."

 **PT 2: SCORPIUS**

There were a thousand thoughts running through his head, and somehow none of them were coherent. He was seriously starting to doubt his ability to hold down his salmon from lunch—he looked anxiously around the waiting room of Rose's office for a bin to run to if things took a turn for the worst. Somehow he couldn't identify a single one, and was starting to think he would just have to vomit in the garish potted plant next to him. What a great start.

Something about Rose made him want to tear his hair out of his head—the rational part of his brain knew that it was an overreaction, but he just couldn't help the surge of emotions that gripped him every time he saw her face. It was like he was back in Hogwarts and couldn't control his hormones ( _thank you, Muggle Studies!_ ), except with Rose that feeling never left him. Sure, he'd fancied birds in the past. There were quite a few he'd been serious with too. None of them held a candle to Rose.

He remembered the first time he saw her from across the Platform 9 ¾. Her red hair was bigger then, more untamable than it was now. The curls took over her face—and he remembered wondering if she was a princess because she was just so _fascinating._ It was clear from the moment they met she didn't share his mutual interest. In fact, the only thing she'd been interested in back then was books and Quidditch. Nevertheless, he became best friends with her best friend so they were _stuck_ and he had been all the happier for that. He'd been carrying a torch for Rose Weasley for nearly 13 years now, and it got worse with every passing day.

Harry had finally gotten tired of the pining and _waiting_. Scorpius was sure that Albus put him up to it. Nevertheless, he found a case file on his desk on Monday, detailing that a well-known Dark Object collector had been in contact with Rose wanting to set up an event, and he needed to go undercover in order to make a break in the case. He happened to know, as Harry did, that Katie was going back to school and there would need to be a replacement. Thankfully, they hadn't put an advertisement in the paper yet, and Scorpius would be able to slide right in.

That was, if Rose would accept his proposition. He wasn't entirely convinced that she would—she'd never been keen on him. There was a cool air of indifference, aside from the verbal sparring matches they'd always had. She was the only person who could match him in both wits and intelligence, and he was always grateful for someone to compete against. After Hogwarts there hadn't been much to argue about (they bickered at family parties—over little things that meant nothing at all). He'd never been able to master the air of casual indifference that she always had, and it hadn't gone unnoticed. The whole family was tired of watching him get passed over, and so they were going to help out in any way they could, Molly Weasley assured him. Her exact words were: " _Scorpius, my granddaughter is mad! You'll need all the help you can get."_ Privately, Scorpius wondered if she didn't know that most of the family was mad. What was he getting himself into?

"Rose'll see you now, Scorpius." Hattie nodded to the door across from her desk.

Scorpius gave her one of his most charming smiles. "Thanks Hattie." He steeled himself to face her, straightening his Auror robes as subtly as he could. He knocked politely and waited for Rose's soft " _come in"_ before gently opening the door.

"Scorpius," _Well, it was better than Malfoy_ , he thought. "Please, have a seat." She pointed to the chair in front of her desk. He couldn't read the look on her face, which he knew had to be purposeful.

"Thank you," He sat and pulled a letter out of his pocket. "I have a message from your Uncle. Harry, that is." She _did_ have quite a few uncles. Thankfully, she took it without comment. It took her only a moment into reading to develop a deep frown on her face. Well, that wasn't a good sign.

"I see." She said tonelessly. "Harry wants me to give you a job. He writes like it's an easy thing, and like this isn't my busiest season. And like I don't have the entire Ministry wanting parties from me—not to mention my outrageous family." With each syllable her voice rose in pitch until she was a decibel below screaming. She pinched the bridge of her nose and took a few calming breaths (he was amazed at her composure, typically she had the worst of the Weasley temper. It was amazing that she was not holding her wand at his throat). "Dear Malfoy," _There it was_. "Do you have experience with event planning? Do you plan on helping me with the weddings as well? The screaming brides? The crying, yelling, working round the clock? Can you put together a flower arraignment? Can you plan a menu? Do you have sommelier experience? Do you speak French? How about—"

"Weasley." He decided to interrupt her before it got worse. "I am a pureblood heir. What do you think my mother does with her life? Sits around in our mansion looking pretty? I've been helping her plan events since I was seven. I do speak French, though my Italian is better. I have plenty of sommelier experience, and I can work my way around a menu."

Rose's eyes narrowed, and he was afraid she would reject him there and then. She sighed and tossed the letter into the pile on her desk. "Fine, I do need the help. You'll have to move into the office to the left of mine. The one on the right is Katie's and she's staying on for one more party. I swear to Merlin, Scorpius, if this goes wrong I _will_ eat you alive. I will not hesitate. And you can send a big _fuck you_ back to Uncle Harry."

He tried not to smile, but failed miserably. Relief colored his features and he was almost worried that would piss her off even more. It seemed as if the worst was over when she returned his smile with a curious glance of her own. It wasn't a smile, but it wasn't hostile. "We owe you one, Weasley."

She tented her fingers in front of her face and stared at him openly. "I know." Apparently, she found in his features what she was looking for, and she rested back in her chair. The stance reminded him of a lion, powerful and deadly. It was a shame she wasn't an Auror. "Christian names for coworkers, Scorpius. I'll expect you and all your things to be here by tomorrow. We'll have a meeting first thing."

He nodded and began his retreat. "Thanks…Rose." She was already back to work, quill scratching on parchment, but nodded in approval at his use of her name. Taking that as his cue to leave, he strode towards the door and silently thanked the gods for letting all go to plan. He thanked Hattie on his way out and apparated back to the Ministry to inform Harry before grabbing the essentials to move to his new office.

Later he wondered what Harry had written in the letter that had made Rose so complacent. He made a mental note to ask about it another time, and prepared to face her again the next day, hoping that whatever it was, was enough to carry her through his time there.

 **A/N:** Frosty Rose! Totally didn't expect that, but you'll see some cool banter and less nervous-mild mannered Scorpius come in later! We will meet Albus (hopefully) in the next chapter! Please allow me some leeway, I don't typically write Scorpius so he's new for me. I have an idea of what I want him to be and haven't quite pinned him down yet. Please review! _Hopefully_ I'll have the next chapter up soon!


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